p.1 #1 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
Ricoh officially launched the Pentax 645Z, a medium format camera equipped with Sony's new 51.4MP large CMOS image sensor.
It boosts an articulated 3.2-inch LCD, ISO up to 204,800, 1080/60i video and 3fps continuous shooting.
The Pentax 645Z has 76 weather seals and it's dust, cold and weather resistant.
It will be available for the US market in late May for the price of $8,499.
p.1 #7 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
645D 2014?
Naming your product after the year of release doesn't seem like a great idea, especially with a slow upgrade cycle like that of medium format cameras.
Who wants to buy a PhaseOne 2003? Anyone?
Hopefully it's just a working title. Seriously though this is the most exciting announcement of the Sony sensor, promising the image quality of the PhaseOne and Hasselblad offerings at a price that is borderline affordable!
p.1 #8 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
Yeah, definitely naming the camera using the release year is a terrible idea. I bet it ends up being 645D II.
Minor thing, but the change to the Pentax logo treatment on the front looks a bit tacky or, at best, Fisher-Price like. Ricoh should leave it alone as the current version looks more professional and discreet.
If this ends up being priced at under 10K, it's going to make some ripples in the MF world I think. It will be interesting to see what happens to the price of the current 645D.
p.1 #9 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
I'd love to see Pentax introduce a F/2 normal lens in the 70-80mm range (preferably Leaf Shutter) sometime this year. Contax had it with the 80mm F/2, Mamiya with the 80mm F/1.9, Zeiss 110 F/2, and Hassy H 100 F/2.2.
p.1 #12 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
It looks like the LCD only tilts in the horizontal plane - makes you wonder why they still put a tripod socket on the side of the camera for shooting in the vertical orientation?
p.1 #14 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
Dpedraza wrote:
10-15k would be my guess. I mean if they're selling this for 10k then why would people buy the iq250 or the hassy? lol
I bet the Pentax will be $9999. The Hassy and Phase are more complete, filled-out systems (much larger selection of current lenses for instance). Folks who actually buy them are probably somewhat locked into the rest of the system. I imagine the biggest buyers of Phase or Hassy though are rental houses and larger studios (which are already invested in the systems).
p.1 #15 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
Tariq Gibran wrote:
I bet the Pentax will be $9999. The Hassy and Phase are more complete, filled-out systems (much larger selection of current lenses for instance). Folks who actually buy them are probably somewhat locked into the rest of the system. I imagine the biggest buyers of Phase or Hassy though are rental houses and larger studios (which are already invested in the systems).
A lot of MFDB shooters really only use a few lenses, anyways, and, if this 645DII is $10K, I really can't imagine why anyone would spend $25,000 more for the same sensor in the IQ250, camera body not included.
I can still see why some would shell out for the larger CCD sensors from Phase and Hasselblad, but, for the 33x44 sensor, it seems a little crazy.
p.1 #16 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
douglasf13 wrote:
A lot of MFDB shooters really only use a few lenses, anyways, and, if this 645DII is $10K, I really can't imagine why anyone would spend $25,000 more for the same sensor in the IQ250, camera body not included.
I can still see why some would shell out for the larger CCD sensors from Phase and Hasselblad, but, for the 33x44 sensor, it seems a little crazy.
Yea I'm really curious to see what the pricing of this thing comes in at. I won't be giving up my IQ180 anytime soon though...
p.1 #17 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
douglasf13 wrote:
A lot of MFDB shooters really only use a few lenses, anyways, and, if this 645DII is $10K, I really can't imagine why anyone would spend $25,000 more for the same sensor in the IQ250, camera body not included.
I can still see why some would shell out for the larger CCD sensors from Phase and Hasselblad, but, for the 33x44 sensor, it seems a little crazy.
Yeah, it just depends on who is buying. I would certainly go for the Pentax myself but I'm perfectly fine with buying older, used 645 lenses. A serious MF professional user who needs the versatility/ flexibility (even occasionally) of a current, existing system (either to own or rent as needed) will find the Pentax lacking. For instance, there are currently only three available new lenses in the U.S. - a 25, 55 and 90 Macro. Compare that to the new lens line-up of Phase or Hasselblad and you can see the problem. So, the complete lack of any current longer lenses (say the typical FL's used by fashion and catalog) would be a huge issue for a number of professionals. For others who don't require this flexibility, it's a relatively great bargain.
p.1 #18 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
Tariq Gibran wrote:
I imagine the biggest buyers of Phase or Hassy though are rental houses and larger studios (which are already invested in the systems).
Quite possibly true, but when I took Capture One Training locally last year after the training they had two sessions on newly introduced the IQ260, IQ280 and the IQ260 Achromatic.Since I was already there I thought why not sit in and see what I could own if I won the lottery. Interestingly enough the attendees in the first session all but 2 attendees were independent photographers or from a very small shop with 2 or 3 max. They were all invested in Phase One and looking to upgrade to the newest gear. Granted they qualified to trade in their own backs and get a discount on the new.
p.1 #19 · Official: Pentax 645Z Medium Format priced at $8,499
Meh. Maybe if it was mirrorless. Ain't nobody got time for the vibration of massive medium format mirrors.
Why does the modular approach Phase One is taking with the 645DF and IQ250 cost SO much more than Pentax's integrated approach? And if it costs that much more, why even do it? The 645DF doesn't even take the film backs anymore (for no good reason except to be dicks, it's basically the same camera as the 645AFD3 that did take them - or honestly even the 645AFD1&2 that took the same ones) so there's literally no point.
